White evangelical Protestants remain President Donald Trump’s strongest religious supporters — but their enthusiasm has cooled over the past year.
A new Pew Research Center survey conducted Jan. 20–26 finds that 69% of White evangelicals approve of Trump’s job performance one year into his second term. That makes them the only large religious group where a clear majority backs the president.
Still, that support has slipped. Early last year, 78% of White evangelicals approved of Trump’s performance.
Most White evangelicals continue to align with Trump’s agenda. The survey shows 58% say they support all or most of his plans and policies. But that figure marks an eight-point drop since early 2025.
Confidence in ethics declines
Confidence in Trump’s ethics has also fallen among White evangelicals.
Just 40% now say they are extremely or very confident Trump acts ethically in office. That represents a 15-point decline compared with early 2025, though it remains far higher than confidence levels among other Americans.
Pew researchers say the trend mirrors shifts seen across the broader public.
How other religious groups compare
Support for Trump has weakened in several other religious communities.
Among White Protestants who are not evangelical, backing for Trump’s plans and policies dropped sharply, from 46% last year to 33% today. Confidence in Trump’s ethics among this group also fell, from 38% to 26%.
Religiously unaffiliated Americans — often called religious “nones” — show even less support. Only 13% now say they support all or most of Trump’s agenda, down from 20% a year ago. Just 10% express strong confidence in his ethics.
Catholics show little change overall. Roughly half of White Catholics, 52%, approve of Trump’s job performance, a level similar to last year.
Support remains very low among Black Protestants. Only 6% say they support all or most of Trump’s plans and policies, and just 12% approve of how he is handling his job.
Approval still highest among evangelicals
While approval has declined since the start of Trump’s second term, Pew found ratings have stayed relatively steady since April 2025.
White evangelicals continue to stand out, with approval levels far exceeding those of other religious groups. Researchers note that the group’s strong Republican identification helps explain its comparatively positive views of Trump.
Even so, Pew reports that confidence in Trump has dipped over the past year not just among evangelicals, but among Republicans more broadly.
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